24-11-2009, 11:38
YouTube - SAM THE SHAM AND THE PHARAOS
from wikipedia
"Wooly Bully" is a popular song originally recorded by Tex-Mex rock 'n' roll band Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1965. Based on a standard 12-bar blues progression, it was written by the band's leader, Domingo "Sam" Samudio. It was released as a single on the Memphis-based Pen label and distributed via MGM.
"Wooly Bully" was the band's first and biggest hit. It became a worldwide sensation, selling three million copies and reaching No. 2 on the American Hot 100 chart on June 5, 1965. It was the first American record to sell a million copies during the British Invasion, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. It lingered in the Hot 100 for a then-impressive 18 weeks and was named Billboard's "Number One Record of the Year" despite never reaching No. 1. It remained the only record to achieve that feat for 35 years, until Faith Hill's "Breathe" repeated it in 2000.
As the Pharaohs prepared to write their debut album, lead singer "Sam the Sham" (Domingo Samudio) wanted to write a tribute to the Hully Gully dance. His record label's legal department feared using that title due to the existence of another song with a similar title. The song was given the green light after Sam rewrote the lyrics and replaced "Hully Gully" with "Wooly Bully".
The lyrics of "Wooly Bully" were hard to understand, and some radio stations banned the song. The lyrics describe a conversation between "Hattie" and "Matty" concerning the American bison and the desirability of developing dancing skills. The warning, "Let's not be L-7's", means "Let's not be squares", from the shape formed by the fingers making an L on one hand and a 7 on the other. Sam the Sham underscores the Tex-Mex nature of the song by counting out the rhythm in Spanish, and the characteristic simple organ riffing. According to Sam: "The name of my cat was 'Wooly Bully', so I started from there. The count down part of the song was also not planned. I was just goofing around and counted off in Tex-Mex. It just blew everybody away, and actually, I wanted it taken off the record. We did three takes, all of them different, and they took the first take and released it."
The song is referenced by Joe Strummer in the live version of The Clash hit "Capital Radio". The song is also heard in a number of films: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Full Metal Jacket, Splash, Scrooged, Happy Gilmore, Monsters vs. Aliens, Religulous, Monsieur Ibrahim and The Chipmunk Adventure, in which it is performed by the Chipmunks.
from wikipedia
"Wooly Bully" is a popular song originally recorded by Tex-Mex rock 'n' roll band Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs in 1965. Based on a standard 12-bar blues progression, it was written by the band's leader, Domingo "Sam" Samudio. It was released as a single on the Memphis-based Pen label and distributed via MGM.
"Wooly Bully" was the band's first and biggest hit. It became a worldwide sensation, selling three million copies and reaching No. 2 on the American Hot 100 chart on June 5, 1965. It was the first American record to sell a million copies during the British Invasion, and was nominated for a Grammy Award. It lingered in the Hot 100 for a then-impressive 18 weeks and was named Billboard's "Number One Record of the Year" despite never reaching No. 1. It remained the only record to achieve that feat for 35 years, until Faith Hill's "Breathe" repeated it in 2000.
As the Pharaohs prepared to write their debut album, lead singer "Sam the Sham" (Domingo Samudio) wanted to write a tribute to the Hully Gully dance. His record label's legal department feared using that title due to the existence of another song with a similar title. The song was given the green light after Sam rewrote the lyrics and replaced "Hully Gully" with "Wooly Bully".
The lyrics of "Wooly Bully" were hard to understand, and some radio stations banned the song. The lyrics describe a conversation between "Hattie" and "Matty" concerning the American bison and the desirability of developing dancing skills. The warning, "Let's not be L-7's", means "Let's not be squares", from the shape formed by the fingers making an L on one hand and a 7 on the other. Sam the Sham underscores the Tex-Mex nature of the song by counting out the rhythm in Spanish, and the characteristic simple organ riffing. According to Sam: "The name of my cat was 'Wooly Bully', so I started from there. The count down part of the song was also not planned. I was just goofing around and counted off in Tex-Mex. It just blew everybody away, and actually, I wanted it taken off the record. We did three takes, all of them different, and they took the first take and released it."
The song is referenced by Joe Strummer in the live version of The Clash hit "Capital Radio". The song is also heard in a number of films: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Full Metal Jacket, Splash, Scrooged, Happy Gilmore, Monsters vs. Aliens, Religulous, Monsieur Ibrahim and The Chipmunk Adventure, in which it is performed by the Chipmunks.